JVC AUDIO GUIDE CHOSEN
FOR NEW EMPIRE STATE BUILDING TOUR
Advanced Audio Guide System With MP3 Compression Guides Visitors in Empire State Building Tour Created by The Charles Morrow Company LLC

WAYNE, NJ (January 31, 2003) - JVC PROFESSIONAL PRODUCTS COMPANY announced today that its advanced audio guide system was chosen for the new audio tours available at the Empire State Building’s world famous observatory. The recently-premiered audio tour, dubbed Tony’s Own New York, was created by the renowned New York music and sound design company The Charles Morrow Company LLC, led by audio impresario Charlie Morrow.

Using JVC’s handheld audio guide, visitors can enjoy a 25-minute tour of the Big Apple, right from atop the famous landmark, all the while learning fascinating and little-known historical anecdotes about New York City. Visitors will be able to enjoy the view and learn about the greatest city in the world, with the help of the JVC audio guide. The audio tour will point out specific landmarks visible from the 86th floor observation deck of the Empire State Building. The cost to rent the audio guide is $5.00.

The audio tour is available in multiple languages including English, Spanish, Japanese, French, Italian, and German; with Mandarin Chinese and Korean soon to be released. Each Audio Guide has all the languages stored on the compact flash card, so when the unit is rented, the agent initializes the audio guide for the language requested by the renter. The audio guide can store audio descriptions in up to 30 different languages.

“We wanted to make this tour a memorable one for visitors from all over the world as a tribute and celebration of New York City and the Empire State Building,” said Charles Morrow, president of Charles Morrow Company LLC. We created a character, Tony, who is the quintessential New Yorker. He puts a virtual arm around the visitor and makes them feel right at home in New York. “With JVC’s advanced technology incorporated in the portable audio guide system, such as its high quality stereo sound, visitors will now be able to enjoy a true New York experience.”

With MP3 compression and 44.1 kHz sampling, JVC’s lightweight audio guide offers high-quality stereo sound to enhance the tour experience and eliminate the need for obtrusive lecturing tour guides or a loud, disturbing PA system. Visitors can also benefit from other audio guide features such as: easy operation with large LCD and buttons; three different ways to initiate playback; pause capability during playback; and a long-lasting lithium battery.

“JVC is proud to represent one of the world’s most popular landmarks,” said Steve Martin, assistant vice president, special markets of JVC. “ The audio guide enhances visitors’ understanding without distracting them. With the convenience of the JVC audio guide, visitors can guide themselves through the tour at their own pace.”

The audio guide tour is divided into seven numbered sections, each between three and four minutes long. Each section identifies landmarks and parts of New York City’s five boroughs. When standing on the 86th floor observation deck of the Empire State Building, visitors can see what they’re hearing about by matching the numbered sections of the hand-held guide with numbered signs posted on the observation deck. Along with descriptions of New York City, visitors will hear stories about the many different neighborhoods and ethnic groups that make up New York City.

The new audio tour is currently available to all visitors to the building. For more information on the audio tours, please contact Sharon Sampson at Rubenstein (212) 843-8296 or Charlie Morrow at The Charles Morrow Company (212) 989-2400.

About JVC
JVC PROFESSIONAL PRODUCTS COMPANY, headquartered in Wayne, New Jersey, distributes and manufactures a complete line of presentation, broadcast and professional equipment. For additional information about the Audio Guide System, contact Steve Martin of JVC at 1-800-JVC-5825, or Beth Marotta, of PFS Marketwyse, at (973) 812-8883 ext. 43.

About The Charles Morrow Company LLC
The Charles Morrow Company LLC was created by audio conceptualist Charlie Morrow in 2002 as an outgrowth of Charles Morrow Associates, a music and design firm founded in 1967. Morrow has long believed that sound, effectively integrated into any two or three-dimensional exhibition has the power to transport people into a more intense experience of the content. Towards the end, CMC is a collaboration of professionals from art, music, theater, marketing, graphic and visual design, sound architecture, recording and playback technologies, and state of the art exhibit and display technologies.

About The Empire State Building
The Empire State Building's 86th floor Observatory is one of the world's most popular attractions and the number-one tourist destination in New York City. Each year, the Observatory welcomes more than 3 million visitors. In conjunction with its 70th anniversary in May 2001, the 102-story Empire State Building recently completed a $70 million modernization program that includes new windows, upgraded computerized elevators, enhanced air conditioning, expanded security systems, exterior limestone restoration and new sidewalks. A New York City and National Historic Landmark, the Empire State Building is perhaps the most easily-recognizable structure in the world.